THE FIRE at the Vale Business Park in Llandow is now out.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) closed the incident yesterday morning, December 11.

Group manager for the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Graeme Smith said: “I am happy to say that firefighting at the incident in Llandow has now concluded.”

The incident proved challenging for three main reasons; the materials were housed in a former aircraft hangar that had been designed to withstand bombardment, the sheer volume and combustible nature of the materials and ensuring that all fire water was captured.

To access the materials effectively it was first necessary to demolish the walls and roof and then fully extinguish each small pile of smouldering materials as they were removed from the building,

“I would like to recognise the efforts of my own staff who have worked tirelessly to resolve this challenging situation," he added.

"I would also like to thank all partners: The Vale of Glamorgan Council, South Wales Police, Public Health Wales and Natural Resources Wales for their contribution to conclude this operation and offer my thanks to local residents and businesses for their patience and understanding throughout the incident."

Natural Resources Wales supported the emergency services to successfully reduce the risk of pollution as a result of the firefighting effort. Their officers are continuing to monitor the local environment for any impact and will make sure that the site operator manages the removal of the fire-damaged waste appropriately.

Officers from Natural Resources Wales will be supporting the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service investigation into the fire as necessary, and will be assessing the operator’s compliance with the site's environmental permits.